the Iris and the Demon
by Scathach24
Summary: This is sort of a continuation of my other story "Of Sand and Pork Buns". This is in the form of little fluffy one shots with Gaara and my OC Ayame as they go about their lives. Rated T to be safe
1. Birthday

**Welp it's the Kazekage's birthday and I've been dying to write one of these for a while. So here you go :D**

Two thin pale hands cover his eyes playfully and a voice sings out "Guess who~!"

"Hi Ayame" Gaara says with a smile as she moves her hands and he turns around. "Are you feeling any better?"

She nods, hoping he can't tell she's lying. At the moment she's in a lot of pain but he can't know that. "Happy birthday, Gaara!"

She frowns at the surprise on his face.

"I got the day wrong didn't I? I thought it was January 19..."

"it is" He mumbles. "I just...forgot"

Ayame looks horrified at this. "You forgot your own birthday?!"

He nodded weakly. "It's never really been that big of a deal..."

She grinned brightly "Well it is now! What are we doing first?"

...:::...

"It's fine Gaara" she assured him as they walked over toward a bakery. Ayame has been saving her allowance for over a month in preparation for his birthday.

"Okay"

The two of them entered the heavenly smelling place. Ayame pulled her best friend over to the glass counter. "Pick any thing"

"Can I help you tw-" the baker froze in her tracks when she noticed the little red haired boy with a gourd on his back.

"We were just picking out a cake" Ayame said happily. She didn't seem to notice the lady's anxiety. She tapped the glass near a pastry "How about that one?"

It was a small red velvet cake with white frosting. Perfect size for two kids to share. Gaara smiled "I think it's great"

Ayame looked back at the baker. "could we have this one please?"

She wordlessly packaged the cake and brought it up next to the cash register. Ayame could hardly see over it so Gaara used his sand to give her a boost. She giggled delightedly at this and pulled her purse off her belt.

"Here" she slid the box across the counter.

Ayame pushed her small stack of currency toward her and picked up the box as well as two plastic forks. Gaara gathered his sand back into the gourd and they walked toward the door. "Thank you ma'am!"

She nodded warily happy the little monster didn't hurt her or the little girl and left the bakery in one piece. The baker wondered how this child could get so close without being scared out of her mind.

Ayame and Gaara got into the garden (Perks of being the Kazekage's son. And scary as hell). They shared the cake.

"How was your birthday?" Ayame asked him

"I think its the best one I've had" He grins at her.

She wraps her arms around him. He looks down at the box that's sitting in her hands. It's wrapped in shiny red paper and tied with a blue ribbon. "It's for you. Open it"

He carefully removes the ribbon and tears through the paper. He lifts the top off the box under the paper. Inside is a necklace with a tiny wooden raccoon and a sand gourd.

"I love it" He puts it on his neck. He tears up slightly when she can't see him. This was probably the best thing that's happened to him on any of his birthdays.

Later a Jounin would find Ayame sleeping peacefully under the plants, hands locked together with Gaara who still wore a faint smile as he played with his necklace.


	2. My Home Life

Ayame coughs so violently that her entire body shudders. Gaara walks her to a bench and sits her down. For the past six months since they met they've been inseparable. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine G-" more coughing.

"Let's go home, okay?" He asks.

She nods and he supports her with an arm over his shoulder. They wind up at his house. It's plenty big but it always seems to be empty. Something smells great though. He can't focus on that though, considering she just coughed up a little blood.

"What the hell'd you do?!" A boy in a black outfit and purple face paint yelled when he saw that Gaara was practically carrying a little girl. He automatically assumed the worst.

"He didn't" Ayame protested weakly. "He's insisting that I take it easy"

Gaara walked past his brother and sat Ayame down on the couch. He finds her a blanket and they sit together. Kankuro is amazed that she's getting so close to him. Soon her head is resting on his shoulder. She doesn't look nervous, in fact she wears a content little smile.

"The cookies will be done s-" Temari falters slightly when she see's her youngest brother and the little girl with light blue hair who's leaning on him.

"Are these your brother and sister?" Ayame asks before submitting to another coughing fit.

"Yes. Temari and Kankuro" He fixes the blanket

"Is she okay?" Kankuro asks.

"The doctor says my lungs especially are temperamental" She laughs humorlessly. "And mom just let me get out of bed..."

"She has a terminal illness" Gaara explains quietly.

"Well the cookies I made will be ready soon. Interested?" Temari asks

Ayame nods and coughs again. Gaara looks concerned. Something that greatly surprises Temari and Kankuro. "I could get a medic if you want, Ayame"

"It's okay" she smiles lightly "Thank you though"

Kankuro peels one of his gloves off and feels her forehead. It's cold and clammy to the touch. He wordlessly sets her up with another blanket and sits down on the side opposite to her so he can work with one of his puppets. "So how long have you known Gaara?"

"I met him a while ago." she smiled. "He was my very first friend"

"You were mine too" he says with a half smile.

Kankuro watches her hand snake together with his little brothers. He wonders if she has had anything to do with Gaara's recent lack of violence. Did she even know what he was?

Temari walked in with a plate of steamy sugar cookies directly from the oven. She sets them down on the coffee table and sits in one of the large armchairs. Gaara picks up two cookies. He hands one to her and takes a bite of his.

"Thank you Temari" Ayame says tucking her legs under her and munching on her cookie. "They taste great"

Temari smiles and accepts the compliment.

For the next few hours they all play a board game. When Gaara loses his siblings shrink away, expecting violence that never comes. He just smiles along as Ayame laughs at his slight misfortune.

Then the Kazekage of the Sand arrives. He's short, yet very imposing. He looks almost like an older Gaara.

Ayame stands when he enters and bows. "Hello Lord Kazekage"

He looks down at this unfamiliar child in his house. Before he can say anything how ever Gaara is next to her. "Father. This is my friend Ayame"

"It's nice to meet you sir" she said politely before coughing so hard Gaara had to hold her up.

He nodded and walked off. Gaara let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He hadn't made her go away. He led her toward the exit and then he walked her back to her house.

Temari and Kankuro would let their father know they suspected this sick child could be the reason Gaara had been doing so well. He takes this information under consideration and for the next week three ANBU observe the two of them.

It turns out the theory was right. When this child was around Gaara could usually keep the Shukaku at bay.

The fourth Kazekage decided that if the life of this child who was most likely going to die soon was the price for keeping the village safe, it was worth it. He arranged something with Ayame's parents. Ayame could be with Gaara when she wanted and vice versa.

For the first time since Yashemaru's betrayal, the little red head was happy. Truly happy.


End file.
